Concerns raised over MoD policing cuts (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Concerns raised over MoD policing cuts

A SHAKE-UP of civil policing in south Wiltshire's garrison towns has sparked criticism.

The ministry of defence has pulled the plug on armed area policing teams, which patrol services married quarters at barracks across the country.

Instead, the MoD has formed divisional support groups, which do not have a patrolling function and focus mainly on intelligence-led policing.

Concerns have been raised by Salisbury MP Robert Key that slashing the number of MoD police in military zones will mean a greater workload for Wiltshire police.

MoD police numbers have also been cut at Porton Down, as part of the changes.

Mr Key said: "In the short term, there could be less policing in garrison towns than we are used to and there will be a strain on Wiltshire Constabulary, which has to make up the shortfall in the long term.

"I should like to know if the government is proposing to change fundamentally the MoD police, or indeed abolish them altogether, because they are handing over cases from the MoD police to the Royal Military Police and RAF police.

"What concerns me most of all is why any government should be reducing security services."

Mr Key raised the issue in parliament last month and has now written to Ivor Caplin MP, under-secretary of state for defence, asking why MoD police numbers have been cut at Porton Down.

Mr Key added: "There is the second issue of the Porton Down review itself, and I am concerned, having been briefed by the MoD Police Federation, that they feel there will be too few MoD police to do the job properly.

"On behalf of the local community, I am anxious to ensure that the minister will be held accountable and really knows what is going on."

As a result of the cuts, only 14 MoD police officers will now cover the Salisbury area, dealing with about 300 crimes a year in Amesbury alone.

An MoD police spokesman said: "We have withdrawn area policing teams and replaced them with similar regional units - but with more of a focus on public order and more deployment at short notice, to support existing security where a surge capacity is required.

"The position on married quarters is that all of us have a duty to police them, the local police force and service police included. We have always cooperated with local forces, and in particular where a unit doesn't have a permanent MoD complement. In Wiltshire, the number of MoD police was reduced from 27 to 22 as of April 1, but there is a new unit in Ashchurch, just over the border in Gloucestershire, from where a couple of dozen officers can be deployed if required."